HANKS TEAMS WITH BEAUTY DIRECTOR

Tom Hanks is set to star in American Beauty director Sam Mendes's next film, The Road to Perdition, based on the 1930s-era gangster novel, The Hollywood Reporter reports. DreamWorks is producing the project, which will start filming early next year. Hanks, last seen in The Green Mile, won Oscars for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. Mendes brought home the gold last March for helming Beauty. Meanwhile, the trade paper also reports that T&eacute;a Leoni is in final talks to star in Jurassic Park III as William H. Macy's love interest. The film is due out next summer.